The 'Dogs sport a 6-4 mark at home this year and topped Air Force in last year's SMC meeting (3-0).

Oct. 14, 2013

By Geoff Thurner
www.GoBulldogs.com

FRESNO, Calif. - Looking ahead to its second straight week of home action, the Fresno State volleyball team (10-8, 4-2) announced Monday that it will move this Saturday's home match with Air Force an hour earlier to 11 a.m.

The October 19 contest at the Save Mart Center was adjusted to help the Falcons (4-13, 1-4) with their adjusted travel plans since they will now play a previously-postponed match at Boise State on Sunday.

The Falcons picked up their first league victory two weekends ago vs. Wyoming (3-1) - its first decision over the Cowgirls since 2003. Other Air Force victories this year have come via Long Beach State (who received votes in the national poll that week), at Navy and vs. UC Riverside.

This Thursday, October 17, the `Dogs open the weekend against New Mexico (14-3, 5-2) at the Save Mart Center at 7 p.m. with one of their toughest tests of the year.

The Lobos beat MW preseason favorite San Diego State last weekend (3-2) in Albuquerque to cap a three-match conference win streak, and its only MW losses are to returning conference co-champion Colorado State (3-2) and UNLV (3-1).

Fresno State comes off a pair of home sweeps last weekend of San Jose State and Nevada and hit .376 and .317, respectively - its first- and third-best hitting marks of the year.

Among other Bulldog news on Monday, junior middle blocker Maci Murdock was awarded her first Mountain West Volleyball Player of the Week honor career-wise.

The middle blocker from Turlock, Calif., did not commit an attack error last weekend, and posted the team's two highest hitting marks of 2013 vs. Nevada (.750) and SJSU (.727) to give her six +.600 totals in 2013.

Her combined weekend averages topped the squad for hitting (.737) and blocks (1.50 per set), and she stood fourth in the MW this week in hitting (.380). In conference play, she leads the league in hitting (.436) by .039 this week and stands seventh in blocks (1.32 p/s).

Catch the Wave: Promotions-wise this week, Thursday's match is 'Homecoming Kickoff Night', while Saturday's match is 'Salute to Services Day'.